#30. Think Big, Act Small; Fail Forward With Brilliant Mistakes

We Are Wired to Want to Improve; Why Do We Underachieve?

Both individuals and companies know how and want to improve. But, the fears of starting out wrong and/or failing (incompetently) are common stalls. To become fearless and successful, we need to unpack the title of this blog. (Google the title in quotes to find my 53-annotated-slide show on the topic.)

Here’s an overview. “Think Big” is the vision thing. Like: you want to grow up to be a pro athlete or musician. Or, a company wants to reinvent its value proposition to dominate a specific, target niche of customers.

“Act small” has cousins. Like: don’t jump in a river with both feet; and, yard by yard is hard, inch by inch is a cinch.   

Whatever your vision, make sure that your first baby steps towards it are experiments that are well-focused, informed and designed. Each step should ideally earn either: some hoped for progress and/or new learning-value that exceeds the cost of the experiment. Don’t spend lots to relearn what you forgot you knew. And, don’t get inconclusive results, because you didn’t think of extra, contributing variables.    

Increasing smart experiments will increase the rate of your successful innovation. And, your courage and execution skills will also grow as a byproduct.   

Experiment Design-Factors: Before, During and After Execution

To be corny, but perhaps more memorable, note the F words that build on “Fail Forward”.

Before execution, is your experiment strategically Focused and grounded with what hard Facts about the opportunity space?  Too many experiments are based on one person’s hunches that lead to nowhere.

If your vision is to improve a kinesthetic skill - focus, facts and experiments - are easy. Want to master touch typing at greater than 50 correct words per minute? Talk to the typing teacher about how many hours of drills it will take. Do a few drills to decide whether to persist.

Business vision experiments are trickier. By example, here are some strategically focused, factual questions:   

• What specific customer niche do we want to better dominate profitably? Why?
• What is the overall addressable market potential? Is it worthwhile?
• With what specific, new-value proposition(s)? Confirmed by top 5 customers?
• Will they pay more than the cost of providing it to yield a net-profit?
• Who are the best customers within the niche to help co-create the new solution?

More pre-execution guideline words are: Frugal, Fast, Fearlessly and Faithfully.

To get going and overcome inertia, I don’t advocate “fire, ready, aim”. Instead, design a small, simple, focused experiment with one important, measurable, controllable variable. Small and simple will keep costs low (Frugal) and can be done quickly (Fast).

Good design reduces Fear so you can move forward with the Faith that your outcomes will be worthwhile in terms of progress and/or learning.

And, have additional faith in the possibility for upside, surprisal learning and opportunities. Whenever you enter a new space, unforeseen actors can notice and offer you new opportunities.  You suggest a new idea and others counter with a better or entirely different need/suggestion.

In-Process Guidelines: Open, Curious, Flexible, Go With the Flow, and Fun

When an experiment is underway, expect both good and bad surprises. Stay open-minded, curious and Flexible. What would you do if you pitched a customer or protégé on a new idea and they replied: “Interesting, but you know what else you could really help me on?’ Would you rigidly keep pushing your agenda, or be Flexible and go with the Flow? And, frame the experience as a Fun exploratory adventure. You don’t “have to”, but rather you “get to” and “want to” learn and progress.

Post-Experiment Guidelines

Turn the art of good experimentation into a consistent, iterative science. Here’s a 6-step cycle in which experiments are embedded: (1) be curious, (2) observe, (3) question, (4) brainstorm theories, (5) design and execute experiments, (6) reflect/learn to then return back to (1) curious/observe, and repeat.

Trying new stuff can be scary. So, start with such tiny, no-fear, experimental steps for which courage isn’t needed. Like: call one best, expert advisor who you already know to discuss a possible experiment for 20 minutes and then do more research conversations. As you keep iterating consistently through the 6-step cycle, your courage and all can-do, execution virtues will grow as byproducts. You will soon be able to courageously and confidently attempt bigger, smart experiments.

As humans we are wired to want to improve - to better serve ourselves and key relationships. And, businesses must innovate to keep up with the general change in the business environment as well as ahead of competitors’ innovative attacks.

Don’t do hunch-based, random experiments with the unspoken assumption that the world wants and will pay for what you think is cool. Apply the F-words to make brilliant mistakes which will fuel increasing - learning, confidence, and innovative success.